Fotografiska Academy: Creative Family Album Workshop

Overview

Inspired by Diana Markosian’s exhibition Father, this workshop invites you to experiment with photography as a tool to reconstruct memory and identity. Markosian grew up with an absent father, so much so that his face was cut out of family albums. She later reconnected with him through photography.

This workshop is hosted by Anjali Janssens, a German-Indian photographic artist based in Berlin. In her work Nachleuchten, she reimagines the family album by merging archival and contemporary images into poetic visual narratives. Guided by her, you reinterpret your own family album by getting to know various digital and analogue techniques. Working with personal archives and new images – and optionally letters, journal entries, or poems – you merge photography, memory, and storytelling for a visual story shaped by your own experiences.

At the end of the workshop, you can design a digital layout of your album in partnership with Once Upon  and receive a gift card of 125€ to have it easily printed via app.

Image credit: © Anjali Janssens

Recommended For

For everyone who wants to explore their heritage further. No previous experience is needed - just bring curiosity, playfulness, and a willingness to engage with your family’s past.

Key Takeaways

• Explore photography as a tool to reconstruct memory and identity
• Learn to reinterpret personal and family archives through visual storytelling
• Experiment with combining archival and contemporary images to create poetic narratives
• Work with photography, memory, and storytelling using both digital and analog techniques
• Thanks to our partner Once Upon, you can print the album as book for free and have it delivered to your home

What To Bring

• Photo prints from your personal archive as well as any recent ones 
  Album for compiling your work
• Laptop and camera
• Letters may be brought from home or written during the workshop (optional)
• Personal items with meaningful value (optional)

About The Host

Anjali Janssens is a German-Indian photographic artist based in Berlin. She studied photography at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen and works both as an artistic photographer and for major brands such as Giorgio Armani. In her work Nachleuchten, Janssens explores the family album as a space of personal and collective memory, re-examining it through photography. Archival images enter into dialogue with contemporary photographs, merging into a poetic visual language. Her practice offers a layered reinterpretation of the classical family album, serving as a visual reflection on origin, memory, and identity.

Schedule

Day 1 – March 21

11:00 – Welcome & warm-up

• Exhibition tour: Diana Markosian - Father 
• Teacher presentation: family album practice
• Writing moment: storyfinding / journaling

12:30 – Break

12:45 – Working with archive materials and newly printed images

• First collage and layout tests
• Short reflection and plan for the next day

15:00 – Finish

Day 2 – March 22

11:00 – Writing warm-up

• Creative work session: collage, text, sequencing

12:30 – Break

12:45 – “Once Upon…”: turning material into a book dummy

• Final sequencing / refining text
• Sharing circle: show work-in-progress, next steps

15:00 – Finish

Cancellation Policy

• More than 7 days before the course start date: Full refund.
• Less than 7 days before the course start date: No refund.
• Refunds will be processed within 14 business days of receiving a cancellation request or notification of course cancellation.

Contact

For any further questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. Our team is happy to assist you!

Tickets

• 130 € – Workshop (incl. Museum Entry) 
• 104 € – For Members 
• 183€ – Workshop (incl. Membership)*

*This bundle combines this Academy program with a one-year Fotografiska Membership (Member tier). After your purchase, our team will reach out to activate your membership.